ArchivedLogs:On the Ground

On the Ground
Dramatis Personae Blink, Mai, Sam
In Absentia	2017-01-03 "I landed a lot easier than some people do."
Location <NYC> Busboys and Poets - East Harlem
A quiet, artsy spot nestled away on a side street in East Harlem, Busboys and Poets combines cafe and bookstore in a way a Starbucks tacked on to a Barnes & Noble could never achieve. The food is a solid, multi-national cuisine menu that caters to all kinds of dietary choices, and its fair-trade tea menu is extensive. Its weekend brunch tends to draw a large crowd, but there is ample enough seating both at tables and on its many comfortable armchairs and couches that at other times of the week there is never a wait. The walls are adorned with the work of local artists, and tucked in among and alongside the couches are rows upon rows of books, with a definite slant towards the political and the bohemian. Upbeat, jazzy, there's music playing smooth and lively from somewhere off toward the back of the establishment. It's more crowded toward the back where some people have drifted to listen to the small ensemble there, occasional bursts of applause audible between switches in numbers. Nearer the front of the cafe, one small table is arranged (tidily) with merchandise and literature. The concert beyond is accepting donations for an organization called Homefront; judging by his erect posture and crisp haircut, the dark-haired dark-skinned man nibbling on a piece of asparagus at the merch-cum-donations table might have a personal interest in a charity that raises money for veterans. He's just thanking a poofy-haired young woman warmly, thanking her for her support before she returns to her seat to enjoy her coffee and the music as well. A young woman in a black hooded cape with purple satin trim ducks inside. Despite the steady rain that has been going on all evening, she isn't completely soaked, though many many drops of rain shimmer on her cape. She shakes the voluminous hems of her outer garment and pushes her hood back, exposing her pointed ears, facial markings, and uncanny green eyes. Then heads in toward the music, looking around curiously. She stops in front of the table and bows to the man behind it, her eyes scanning the literature. "{Good evening,}" she says in Spanish. "So, you're here to tell me what this event is about?" Mai arrives just a bit after Blink, and strangely enough, even though she is walking along the sidewalk at fairly casual pace, she is not even the slightest bit damp, its like the raindrops somehow manage to 'miss' her completely? Looking up briefly as she gets to the door, quite a triumphant smile on her face. "Damn, it actually worked..." she notes mostly to herself as she pushes open the door and heads inside. She only found this place awhile ago, but since then, it has quickly become her favorite cafe, and one of overall favorite hangouts, not the least because she also likes books. She is a bit surprised though at the large gathering of people inside as she hasn't been quite keeping tabs on special events. "I guess there might be bit of a queue today for tea and sandwich..." she offers half-jokingly to the closest person, which just happens to be Blink, well it sort of makes sense since the purple-haired girl was the previous person to come in. Sam's leaning back against the table, nomming again on his stalk of asparagus. Seeing someone approach he stands quickly. He's got a smile already in place when he turns toward Blink. It grows a little fixed when the hood come down. Teeth clamp down around the tail end of th asparagus. He takes a second to chew, swallow, lick fingers clean and wipe them on a napkin that get crumpled and pushed into a pocket. "Well this event's about good food and good music." The smile is warm again. He nods to the band. "But us here? We're about looking after men and women who served their country. Maybe ain't getting looked after properly themselves." He nods to Mai in greeting. "You in a rush?" Blink dips a bow at Mai when she addresses her. "By Tuesday standards, I guess!" She smiles shyly. "But it's not too bad yet." Picking up one of the pamphlets, she flips through it. "So this is with the VA system? Or...a private charity." Mai turns her attention towards Sam when the man addresses her, having to look up, up, and bit more up to actually reach the face of the much taller man. "Oh, not particularly much, no. This is not exactly the place I come to when I am in a hurry, as I generally like to take my time with some reading or drawing here, it has quite the lovely atmosphere for that." She explains, nodding in agreement with what Blink says. "Hmm, I guess your right there." catching up a bit of what Sam said to Blink as well about the nature of the event taking place. "I can certainly think of much worse things to gather funds for than that." "Oh, no, we're privately funded." Sam ducks his head, just a little, rubs at the back of his head, just a little. "The VA's spread thin already. We try to pick up some of the slack, right? Help some of the people falling through the cracks." Loose-curled loose-boned fingers rest in a casual prop on the table, his weight leaning on a muscular arm. He picks up an information pamphlet in his other hand, offering it to Mai. "High praise," delivered with a warm chuckle, "maybe with some more information we can earn something higher. "To be completely honest," Blink lowers her voice, though not so much that Sam and Mai can't hear. "I just stopped in here to get out of the rain." Something in the pamphlet open in her hands makes her frown. "It seems like VA hospitals and programs are always underfunded." She looks up at Sam, considering. "As big as the U.S. military budget is, you'd think they would be able to take care of the veterans." Mai does accept the pamphlet from Sam with a "Thanks." Skimming through it as she listens the other two talking for a moment, even though she is kind of low on money herself too so doesn't really have anything to donate. Blink's confession draws her attention away from the pamphlet as she offers a slight giggle to the other girl. "Sounds like as valid reason as any, the weather out there is kind of bad, not that I have anything against rain specifically, but -freezing- rain, now thats something else." is offered before the talk about the hospitals and budgets gets her a bit more serious, not that she really knows much about those things, but it sounds important at least. "Why is it always the hospitals and schools that are the first things that get cut from all kinds of budgets. Would think those would be more important than like... I don't know... another fighter jet?" Sam leans in conspiratorially when Blink's voice lowers. Not too far, though, and he's quick to push back up straighter, chuckling, after this confession. "Then hey I'm glad /we/ can help /you/." He offers a helpless ort of shrug to budgetary considerations. Hands spreading, brows lifting with the scrunch of shoulders. "Politicians decide the priorities. They're not paying all that much attention to the people on the ground." "It usually suprprises people I'm a wimp about the elements, but...I kind of am. /You/ look remarkably dry for all that!" Blink hums quietly, nodding. Then looks up at Sam, frowning a little. "I guess a lot of politicians' priorities are with people with money to give them, and a lot of those people are corporations." She sets the pamphlet down, nearly aligning it with the stack it came from. "I don't have have a lot to spare, right after the holidays, and it hardly seems like so little would help much." But a black wallet appears in her hands anyway, and she roots through it. Pauses for consideration, and finally produces a pair of ten-dollar bills. "Are you still on the ground?" she asks, tilting her head. Mai gets momentarily distracted from the conversation as she orders a cup of tea from the counter while there is a convenient pause in other customers wanting to do the same thing, then focuses back to the two other people, with a cup in hand. Looking over her form at Blink's remark, she giggles a bit. "Oh yeah... I guess I do. I used a little trick I learned awhile back, it worked better than I had expected." is offered in reply somewhat vaguely. Taking a sip from her tea carefully, as it is still rather hot, as she watches Blink pass the money over, then giving somewhat apologetic look to Sam. "I would love to pitch in too, but I am afraid that I am pretty tight on cash myself too." "/Thank/ you. Really appreciate the support. Every bit of it helps." Sam tucks the bills into their lockbox. "Free man. Just home recently. I landed a lot easier than some people do." He shoots Mai a swift grin, then. "You got a cryptic way of saying 'raincoat', girl." Leaning back against the table, his eyes cast a swift uncertain look over Blink. "Surprises? Why would people think anything else, did you get some kind of magic to come wih all --" He's waving a hand at -- Blink, generally. Blink bows, more deeply this time. "Is there anything that would be more helpful? I'm sure random one-off gifts only gets you so far." She also flashes Mai a smile, though it's a bit shy. "Well, a raincoat isn't the /only/ way to keep out of the rain." She hunches a little at Sam's gesture. Blushes a little, too. "I guess you could call it magic! It's a little flashier than straight-up teleporting, so I try not to show it off in places I don't want to get kicked out of." Mai giggles a bit at Sam's mention of raincoat. "Hmm, that sounds pretty good actually... I think I will use that, thanks!" She offers to the man, before giving a somewhat curious look to Blink when she starts talking about teleporting. "Huh what? Teleporting? Damn, I can imagine that being pretty useful skill to have. Never be late from anything!" She offers with a grin. "Tell your friends, volunteer your time with us, sign up for our mailing list so you hear about other events in future and can pass 'em along to folks?" Sam picks up a clipboard, waggling it temptingly at Blink. His outstretched hands freeze at the mention of teleporting. "I was just kidding, you -- magic. For real? That's --" Pause, hestation, cautiously: "... right, useful." Belatedly, now, finishes reaching forward to offer Blink the signup sheet. "Oh! Oh, this -- " Blink gestures at her face, blushing deeper, " -- isn't a costume." She pulls back. But then, a little awkwardly, accepts the clip board to add her name to the mailing list. "Funny, though, I always /feel/ like I'm running late for something." She glances at a phone that seems to just materialize in her hand from beneath the hem of her cape. "Speaking of which, I should get going. {Have a good evening!}" She hands the clipboard back to Sam with a quick bow, her name and email address written filled in. "and {goodbye!}"